Mavic jumps into the tire market
Mavic, traditional purveyor of rims and wheels, has decided to enter the high performance tire market with the K10 tire to go along with the limited edition K10 Yksion version of their Ksyrium wheelset.
Really, Mavic? You’re going to make tires? Bike Radar reports that the tires will work with other wheelsets and rims but “are designed to work best as an all-Mavic combination.” Retarded. Let’s make this clear: we’re not talking about a road tubeless clincher, it’s just a standard 700Cx23 clincher. It’s not exactly a leap in technology.
And of course, Mavic didn’t set-up a tire factory; they’re just having someone else make them. The best bet is that it’s the Hutchinson factories making them in Thailand.
I wish Mavic would put money into better things. Namely, 1) update the aerodynamics of the Cosmic wheel family. Look at Zipp and Hed for a guide book, it’s called a toroid. 2) develop wheel systems for touring riders, or at least market a conventional hub (and in 36H as well as 32H). [
photo from Bike Radar
What also kills me is that the K10 tire is “aimed at long-distance racers, the emphasis is on rolling efficiency, with grip, weight and comfort further down the list, and puncture protection and durability deemed to be of lesser importance.”
Rolling efficiency? It’s the most vague and nebulous trait of a tire (unless you have a well-calibrated testing jig at home). It’s like saying the tire is designed to suck unless you roll in a straight line, don’t try to corner hard, don’t care about comfort, and never roll over anything sharp. Oh, and it ain’t as light as other tires out there. WTF?